1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers used for improving work efficiency.
2. Description of the Related Art
“Cable ties” or “tie wraps” (ties) (also wire or string ties and tag ties, including beaded, notched, Velcro, and ladder variants, as well as “secure” ties and “locking” ties) are widely used by a variety of tradesmen for binding together bundles of electrical wires, HVAC components, computer cables, and just about anything that needs to be joined or held together. Ties come in multiple colors, shapes, sizes, strengths, and materials. In many cases, around the country, police departments use large tie wraps in place of handcuffs.
Tradesmen, who use tie wraps as part of their regular work routine, have few convenient methods for storing and accessing ties while on the job. Cable ties or tie wraps are typically packaged in plastic bags or large boxes. Once the bag or box is opened, its contents may easily spill. Loose ties end up scattered around the bottom of toolboxes, truck beds, and work sites. When ties are needed, rather than having them close at hand, the tradesman is forced to stop work and scrounge around the bottom of a tool box or through worksite debris to find them. Any professional finds such interruptions to be an annoyance at best, and a money-wasting delay at worst. It is a common complaint among tradesmen who use tie wraps on a regular basis that they drop or lose track of these ties and have to retrieve them at inopportune times. Additionally, because tie wraps come in so many different varieties, it is common to mix different types and difficult to keep them separated as needed.
The largest professional users of tie wraps are electricians, HVAC mechanics, cable installers, computer network installers, and police departments. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 1999, there were approximately 550,000 electricians employed in the construction industry, 250,000 HVAC mechanics and installers working for heating and cooling contractors, 275,000 assorted computer and telecommunications mechanics and installers, and close to 600,000 local police officers.
Certainly not all of these individuals use tie wraps on a daily basis; however, it is reasonable to speculate that the potential number of serious users in the United States could be as high as 250,000 to 500,000 individuals—or approximately 20% to 40% of the total number of tradesmen in the target occupations. These figures do not include homeowners and “do it yourselfers” who frequent home improvement stores such as Home Depot and Hechingers.